Ramallah – The follow-up committee from the “Women’s voices for ending the division and achieving national reconciliation” conference recently held a coordination meeting between PLC women members from Fatah and Hamas and other women leaders in the West Bank who represent women’s unions and bodies. The meeting is part of the efforts to support a united women’s discourse for towards ending the division and urging political players to assume their responsibilities in regaining the national and social fabric of the Palestinian people. At the meeting, they discussed the role of women leaders in supporting the recommendations of the closing statement of the conference, entitled: “Women’s Call: One Country, One People, One Flag”.
Practical recommendations
In her welcoming speech, MIFTAH CEO Dr. Lily Feidy stressed on the importance of devising practical recommendations for achieving the conference’s central goal of ending the political division, especially she said, since there have been so many meetings and conferences which discussed the division without offering any practical recommendations. She called for rising above differences in ideologies and political views, pointing out that the goal was to end the division. MIFTAH, she maintained, took on this initiative because it believes women are capable of creating change, especially since there are countries less advanced than Palestine where women have been able to make progress and political achievements. “This alone should be motivation for us as women and representatives of the people and the PLC,” she said. Feidy also stressed that the conference’s outcomes must be followed up, pointing to certain practical steps MIFTAH agreed to follow up on including the formation of a coalition.
MIFTAH projects manager Najwa Yaghi, who chaired the session, also gave a brief recap of the conference’s recommendations and of the follow-up committee. The June conference was attended by nearly 850 women from the West Bank and Gaza, mostly from grassroots organizations, who all agreed that women should participate in the restoration of unity, national reconciliation and ending the division.
Promoting potentials and skills among youth groups
Yaghi stressed on the importance of the meeting, which she said was one step towards following up on the recommendations of the conference.
“Are women capable of pressure and impact towards ending the years of division and achieving national unity,” asked Yaghi? “I believe so.”
The start of a breakthrough
The participants described the meeting as the “start of a breakthrough” because it reaffirmed the importance of communication, listening to each other and steering clear of disputes. This, they said, required putting political positions aside and adopting a more general movement towards unity, dialogue and an end to the division. They suggested activities supportive of the reconciliation and regaining unity ahead of tackling social issues as well.
Reviving the role of women PLC members
The participants reaffirmed the need for a revival of the role of female PLC members given that they are representatives elected by the people. The participants called for steps towards achieving their goals of ending the division, also saying they needed to work towards guaranteeing that public freedoms are not impinged on, first and foremost the freedom of thought, expression and political action. They proposed the formation of media, legal and cultural committees led by women leaders along with PLC members, stressing on the need for women to participate and be represented in the reconciliation committees as well. They even suggested a visit to the President to explain the importance of the formulation of the coalition and to demand that he revives the social reconciliation and security committees, ensuring women’s representation in both, including in contacts between Fatah and Hamas.
“In order to regain our national unity, we must revive the role of the PLC and push for holding new democratic elections,” they said. “The current PLC must assume an effective role until a new one can be established and pressure can be applied to the two rival parties.”
General Union of Palestinian Women
The participants also stressed on the role of the General Union of Palestinian Women as the umbrella organization for Palestinian women, both independent and members of factions. The union, furthermore, is responsible for mobilizing women, which means it must be on top of its role in this context. They stressed that women and legal organizations must also assume their roles in the field in terms of social accountability. The women reaffirmed the importance of political pluralism and halting negative media exchanges by holding accountable those responsible and spreading the concepts of tolerance and love.
On its part, the follow-up committee from the “Women’s Call…” conference confirmed that it would follow up on listing the rights institutions in the West Bank and Gaza that document attacks on human rights. As for the issue of media slandering, a draft statement was drawn up by the committee against the use of the media as a platform to undermine the values of national unity.
Popular action
The committee said it would work on holding area meetings in the districts to present the recommendations and to bring on board activists from all sectors, namely young men and women. In addition to forming a coalition of women, the committee said they must refer back to the Cairo and Mecca agreements and hold accountable the parties that caused their failure.
Civil society organizations
The follow-up committee also reaffirmed the role of civil society organizations in pressing towards the guarantee of freedom of opinion and expression for all sectors of society, in addition to close coordination with rights organizations in order to document violations against these freedoms. They said women PLC members should lead this movement along with the organizations and with women leaders.
خلال اجتماع تنسيقي نظمته 'مفتاح'..
عضوات المجلس التشريعي وقيادات نسائية يبحثن في خطوات عملية لإنهاء الانقسام وتحقيق المصالحة الوطنية
تاريخ النشر: 10/09/2015
بقلم: مفتاح
رام الله – ضمن جهودها الرامية لدعم خطاب نسوي جامع ضاغط باتجاه إنهاء الانقسام ووضع ذوي الشأن السياسي أمام مسؤولياتهم في استعادة اللحمة الوطنية وتمتين النسيج المجتمعي لشعبنا الفلسطيني، عقدت لجنة متابعة مؤتمر "رفع صوت النساء لإنهاء الانقسام وتحقيق المصالحة الوطنية" اجتماعا تنسيقيا ما بين عضوات المجلس التشريعي من حركتي فتح وحماس وبعضا من النساء القياديات النسوية في الضفة الغربية ممثلات الأطر والاتحادات النسوية المختلفة ناقشن خلاله دور النساء القياديات في دعم توصيات البيان الختامي للمؤتمر الذي عقد بمبادرة من العديد من مؤسسات المجتمع المدني في حزيران 2015 تحت شعار: "النساء يردن... شعب واحد، وطن واحد، علم واحد، بالإضافة إلى عضوات لجنة المتابعة اللواتي يمثلن عددا من مؤسسات المجتمع المدني
الخروج بتوصيات عملية
وفي مداخلتها الترحيبية بالحضور أكدت الدكتورة، ليلي فيضي - المدير التنفيذي لمؤسسة مفتاح - على أهمية الخروج بتوصيات عملية نحو تحقيق هدف المؤتمر المركزي باتجاه إنهاء الانقسام، لا سيما وأن هناك العديد من الاجتماعات والمؤتمرات خرجت وناقشت موضوع الانقسام دون الخروج بتوصيات عملية، ودعت إلى الترفع أثناء النقاش والحوار عن الاحتدام الناتج عن اختلاف الأيديولوجيات السياسية، لان الهدف بالنهاية هو إنهاء الانقسام، وهو ما حدا ب"مفتاح" إلى هذه المبادرة إيمانا منها بقدرة المرأة على التغيير لا سيما وأن هناك دولا أقل حضارة وتمدنا من فلسطين استطاعت فيها النساء إحراز تقدم وتحقيق إنجازات سياسية، و"هذا بحد ذاته يشكل دافعا لنا كنساء ممثلات للشعب بالمجلس التشريعي".
كما أكدت د. فيضي، على ضرورة متابعة نتائج المؤتمر، مشيرة إلى بعض الخطوات العملية المتفق عليها، والتي ستعمل "مفتاح" على متابعتها، بما في ذلك تشكيل الائتلاف كأحد توصيات المؤتمر.
وكانت نجوى ياغي، مديرة مشاريع في "مفتاح"، والتي أدارت الجلسة، قدمت قبل ذلك، لمحة موجزة عن توصيات مؤتمر رفع صوت النساء لإنهاء الانقسام وتحقيق المصالحة الوطنية، وعن لجنة المتابعة التي انبثقت عن اللجنة التحضيرية للمؤتمر الذي عقد في حزيران بمبادرة من مؤسسات المجتمع المدني بمشاركة واسعة من النساء - حوالي 850 امرأة من الضفة الغربية وقطاع غزة- أغلبهن من القاعدة النسوية واللواتي توافقن على ضرورة مشاركة المرأة في إعادة اللحمة ما بين أبناء الشعب الفلسطيني والسعي لتحقيق المصالحة الوطنية وإنهاء الانقسام.
تعزيز قدرات ومهارات المجموعات الشبابي
وأكدت على أهمية هذا الاجتماع الذي يعتبر عقده واحدا من أهم الخطوات نحو متابعة توصيات المؤتمر التي شددت على ضرورة وجود خطاب نسوي جامع ضاغط لإنهاء الانقسام، بعيدا عن الحزبية.
وتساءلت ياغي:" هل النساء قادرات على الضغط والتأثير لإنهاء سنوات الانقسام وتحقيق المصالحة الوطنية؟ وهل النساء ممثلات الفصائل الفلسطينية بمختلف ايدولوجياتها قادرات على تلبية نداء النساء اللاتي شاركن في المؤتمر ويمثلن شريحة عريضة من النساء في القاعدة؟".
بداية اختراق
ووصفت المشاركات اجتماعهن بأنه هام جدا وهو بداية اختراق، ويؤكد القناعة بأهمية الإنصات والإصغاء وعدم الدخول بالتفاصيل الخلافية، ما يتطلب الاتفاق على وضع الموقف السياسي خارجا عن طاولة النقاش، والانتقال للحراك العام نحو الوحدة والبدء بحوار وإنهاء الانقسام، والانطلاق نحو المصالحة، واقتراح أنشطة مشتركة تدعم إنهاء الانقسام كالقيام بحملات ضاغطة واستعادة الوحدة للبدء لاحقا بحوار حول القضايا الاجتماعية".
تفعيل دور النساء عضوات المجلس التشريعي
كما أكدن على أن تفعيل دور النساء عضوات المجلس لتشريعي حراك هام جدا، باعتبارهن نواب منتخبات من الشعب ولا بد من المحاولة لإنجاح الحوار والالتقاء حول النقاط المشتركة والقضايا الملحة للنساء ، ودعت المشاركات إلى العمل بخطوات مدروسة حتى يتم تحقيق أهدافهن في إنهاء الانقسام حيث أن 8 سنوات من الانقسام ساهمت في تجذيره، وأكدن على العمل على ضمان عدم المس بالحريات العامة وعلى رأسها حرية الاعتقاد و والفكر والتعبير والعمل السياسي
كما اقترحن تشكيل لجان إعلامية، وقانونية، وثقافية، تقودها النساء القياديات مع عضوات المجلس التشريعي اللجان من النساء لمتابعة ملف المصالحة الوطنية وإنهاء الانقسام، والعمل على تفعيل المواطنة الصالحة وضمان الحريات العامة للتعبير عن الرأي . وضرورة مشاركة النساء وتمثيلهن في لجان المصالحة، واقترحن تنظيم زيارة للرئيس وتوضيح أهمية هذا الائتلاف ،ومطالبته ب ضرورة تفعيل لجنتي المصالحة المجتمعية والأمن وتمثيل النساء بجميع اللجان التي تهدف الى المصالحة الوطنية وأن يكون لعضوات المجلس دور في النقاشات واللقاءات والاتصالات بين كل من فتح وحماس.
وأضفن " حتى نستعيد وحدتنا الوطنية، لا بد من تفعيل دور المجلس التشريعي، والضغط باتجاه عقد انتخابات ديمقراطية جديدة، وان يضطلع المجلس التشريعي بدوره بشكل فاعل إلى حين، قيام المجلس الجديد بدوره. وبالتالي لا بد من توحيد الجهود والضغط نحو تفعيل التشريعي، وهذا هام جدا للضغط على طرفي الانقسام، وان تكون ضمن أولويات لجنة المتابعة، إضافة إلى متابعة هموم المواطنين المتضررين من الانقسام في غزة والضفة الغربية".
الاتحاد العام للمرأة الفلسطينية
وأكدت المشاركات على دور الاتحاد العام للمرأة، باعتباره المظلة الكبرى والعامة للنساء الفلسطينيات المؤطرات والمستقلات، كما أنه مسؤول عن تعبئة النساء، ما يستوجب من الاتحاد العام للمرأة الاضطلاع بدوره في هذا السياق". وكذلك دعوة المؤسسات النسوية والحقوقية، إلى أن تضطلع هي الأخرى بدورها الكامل في الميدان، وأن تمارس دورها المجتمعي من حيث المساءلة، مع التأكيد على أهمية التعددية السياسية ووقف التراشق الإعلامي ومحاسبة المسؤولين عنه، ونشر التسامح والمحبة من خلال اللجنة الخاصة بالمتابعة.
بدورها، أكدت لجنة المتابعة المنبثقة عن مؤتمر "النساء يردن..." أنها ستتابع موضوع حصر المؤسسات الحقوقية في غزة والضفة التي تقوم بتوثيق الاعتداءات على حقوق الإنسان، أما فيما يتعلق بموضوع لتراشق الإعلامي، فقد تم إعداد صيغة بيان من قبل اللجنة لينشر باسمها، ضد من يستخدم الإعلام منبرا ضد قيم الوحدة الوطنية .
الحراك الشعبي
وفيما يتعلق بالحراك الشعبي، أشارت اللجنة إلى أنها ستعمل على عقد اللقاءات المناطقية على مستوى المحافظات لعرض التوصيات، بالإضافة لضم مجموعة من الناشطين من جميع الفئات لا سيما الشباب الذكور منهم والإناث.
وأكدت اللجنة أن الاجتماع هو بداية للبدء في تشكيل الائتلاف النسوي الضاغط"، وأنه لا بد من العودة لاتفاقيات القاهرة والسعودية ومحاسبة الجهات التي عملت على إفشالها".
مؤسسات المجتمع المدني
وأكدت لجنة المتابعة على دور مؤسسات المجتمع المدني في الضغط باتجاه ضمان حرية الرأي والتعبير لجميع فئات المجتمع الفلسطيني والتنسيق العالي مع المؤسسات الحقوقية لرصد الانتهاكات ضد ممارسة الحق في التعبير. ووجوب أن تقوم عضوات المجلس التشريعي بقيادة هذا الحراك مع المؤسسات ومع النساء القياديات من خلال أنشطة ضاغطة.
MIFTAH releases 2021-2022 comparative actual spending reports for the social and security sectors, including social justice and gender indicators
Date posted: April 04, 2023
By MIFTAH
MIFTAH recently released 2021-2022 comparative actual spending reports for the social sector (health, education, higher education and scientific research, social development and labor), and for the first time, the security sector (Ministry of Interior and National Security). The reports were based on annual financial data released by the Ministry of Finance in Palestine for 2021-2022 and on an accrual basis.
The data showed that the Ministry of Interior and National Security had the highest percentage of actual spending in 2022, accounting for 22.8% of overall public expenditures, or ILS3.68 billion. This was a slight increase from the Ministry’s share in 2021. Meanwhile, actual spending on the education sector (Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Scientific Research) stood at 21.5% of overall public expenditures, or ILS3.48 billion. This was also an increase from the education sector’s share in 2021, which was 20.6% of public expenditures.
Moreover, actual spending on the Ministry of Health also increased in 2022, comprising 15% of overall public expenditures, at a sum of ILS2.4 billion. This was higher than in 2021, where its share was 14.4%. As for the Ministry of Social Development, actual spending was still low, amounting for 6.2% of overall public expenditures in 2022, compared to 5.8% in 2021. The Ministry of Social Development’s actual spending in 2022 was approximately ILS1 billion. As for the labor sector, actual spending on this sector in 2022 was 0.31% of overall public expenditures, while in 2021 it was 0.28%. Actual spending on the labor sector in 2022 was ILS50.1 million.
Upon review of actual spending reports of the targeted ministries from a gender and social justice perspective, it is clear that actual spending on the Ministry of Social Development does not coincide with the scope of its responsibilities as the forerunner of the social sector in Palestine, including its programs for combatting poverty and the protection of poor and marginalized social sectors. Moreover, non-compliance to the disbursement of payments for poor families within the CTP continued according to estimates, whereby only two of four installments for 2022 were disbursed, one at minimum value. This adversely affected the financial security of the most underprivileged and marginalized sectors of society, in addition to the insufficient estimated budget and actual spending on the social protection program, in spite of its importance in providing protection and social services to battered women, children, special-needs persons and the elderly.
The data also pointed to the low percentage of women working in the security sector, which stood at 6% of the total number of workers in this sector, while they comprised 46% of the civil sector. This shows a gap in actual spending on the security sector from a gender perspective, given that the lion’s share of actual spending in 2022 was on salaries and wages. Hence, women only benefited very little from these allocations, which were nearly ILS2.9 billion in 2022.
The data also indicated that the development expenditures for the Ministry of Labor were only ILS4.5 million in 2022, even though planned development expenditures were ILS32 million, which is much higher. This casts a shadow on gender-related programs and projects, which were allotted sizeable budgets within development expenditures, such as creating sustainable opportunities as alternatives for Palestinian men and women working in settlements, for which ILS10 million were earmarked.
Even though there was an increase in actual spending in 2022 at the targeted ministries in general, this increase was mainly concentrated on salaries and wages. In spite of the importance of providing a decent life for employees, there is still a need to increase spending on development expenditures, since they are at the forefront of developing government services, including the nationalization and institutionalization of various social services.
MIFTAH concludes town hall meetings on political participation and citizens’ rights for women and youth
Date posted: January 09, 2023
By MIFTAH
Ramallah – 29/12/2022 – Within its efforts to promote democratic values and the peaceful transfer of power within the Palestinian government system, MIFTAH’s field advisory team completed over 100 town hall meetings in the second half of 2022. The meetings were held in coordination and cooperation with CSOs, LGUs and grassroots organizations and targeted women and youth in several West Bank and Gaza Strip districts. The objective of these meetings was to raise awareness among the electorate on the electoral system in Palestine and on civil society demands to increase women and youth participation in local and general elections as candidates and voters, on the premise that this boosts their presence in decision-making levels and involves them in public affairs.
The town hall meetings included several exchange visits between LGU members in the various districts. The women shared the experiences and challenges they faced after becoming council members. The meetings focused on the concept of citizenship within a broader definition of the various forms of political participation and the importance of involvement from youth and women in public life. They also pointed to the different forms of democracy and the main pillars of the democratic society Palestinians seek to create. The participants furthermore discussed the various forms of electoral systems and shed light on the gaps in electoral laws regarding the presence of women and youth.
The participants pointed to the importance of periodic legislative and presidential elections and the danger of the ongoing absence of the PLC on matters pertaining to civic peace. They also warned against the absence of oversight and accountability, maintaining that the defunct PLC has contributed to shrinking civic space and public freedoms and therefore, the ability or desire to become involved in political life, especially for women and youth. In most of the meetings, the participants also indicated that the absence of a regular democratic process in Palestine contributed to the overall exclusion of youth from participation and to the marginalization of the role of women in Palestinian political decision-making.
The town hall meetings stressed on the importance of pressing for legislative, presidential and local elections in all West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza Strip districts. They also endorsed the demand for equality in electoral laws, starting with raising the women’s quota to a minimum of 30%, raising the candidacy age and lowering the threshold. They urged Palestinian factions to assume a key role in the process of inclusion for women and youth in the public sphere and to prevent the progression of tribalism in the democratic process. The attendees emphasized the importance of monitoring the performance of LGUs in their interaction with local communities and the consistency of their meetings. Finally, they said female council members must be given the opportunity to exercise their role in their respective councils as equals to their male counterparts.
MIFTAH holds town hall meetings on an annual basis as part of its awareness campaign on citizens’ rights and the promotion of the democratic approach for a peaceful transfer of power, in addition to the involvement of women and youth in elections as both candidates and voters. Each year, through these town hall meetings, MIFTAH aims to reach the widest possible segment of the electorate and the different social sectors in all parts of Palestine.
MIFTAH completes training workshop in the Gaza Strip on family protection and advocacy
Date posted: January 05, 2023
By MIFTAH
Gaza – 2/1/2023 – MIFTAH recently completed a training workshop on measures and regulations on family protection in the Gaza Strip. The workshop was part of MIFTAH’s strategic objectives to prioritize family issues in communities and to support local institutions in increasing awareness on citizenship and constitutional rights for Palestinian women and on combatting all forms of GBV and discrimination in Palestinian society.
The workshop’s objectives included providing institutions with important information on the legislations, laws and measures for family protection in effect in the Gaza Strip, in a bid to enhance the oversight role of CSOs in holding accountable official parties responsible for enforcing these measures and legislations. The training also included offering institutions the necessary mechanisms for managing digital and media campaigns to press for the ratification of laws and legislation that protect women’s rights.
The discussions focused on a number of points, including legal (including sharia law) rebuttals to claims from parties opposing legislation, including the Family Protection Law. They also discussed how applicable this law would be in the Gaza Strip once ratified by the President.
The participants unanimously agreed that they supported adoption of the law, giving no credence to the claims of more extreme elements in Gaza on the Family Protection Law. They called on MIFTAH to hold general, open meetings with the public to introduce them to the law and its importance, so that they could defend themselves from the extremist discourse surrounding it.
Opinions and impressions
One of the participants, Latifa Shatat, said such training workshops were crucial for every Palestinian, male and female. “It is great we are pressing for protection laws such as the Family Protection Bill. This law will have tremendous impact on society as a whole. I can say from experience as a social and mental health worker that protection is the most important element in our work, especially in cases involving women and children, who are the most vulnerable social sectors. I commend MIFTAH and anyone who participates in spreading a culture of nonviolence, protection, justice and equality.”
Meanwhile, Haifa Al Araj said the training offered important details about the Family Protection Law and also ways of conducting initiatives and activities that could produce positive results in mobilizing support it.
Another participant, Hatem Abu Ta’a, said the training was a new starting point for him as an institution director in terms of integrating the demand to implement the Family Protection Law in all advocacy and lobbying activities and programs. He said he became more aware of the impediments to the law’s implementation at the official and social level, saying, “This training reminds us to renew our calls to demand implementation and ratification of the law at the official level.”
Meanwhile, Mahmoud Abu Rabee said ratification of the Family Protection Law would be a huge step, for women and children especially. “This law will amplify women’s voices and their ability to access help with stronger and more supportive centers throughout the homeland. As a strong supporter of this bill, I want to stress on the importance of civil society institutions explaining the clauses in the bill pertaining to CEDAW and to also focus on working with parties that oppose the law in particular.”
The training workshop is part of MIFTAH’s “Policy dialogue and Good Governance” Program, which aims at influencing public policies and legislation in favor of protection for citizens’ rights in Palestinian society, based on the principles of social justice and respect for human rights.
